Utomi: We can’t have effective security without a sub-national police

Pat Utomi, a professor of political economy, says the creation of sub-national police will improve the safety of lives and properties across the country.

NAN reports that Utomi, who spoke in Lagos on Tuesday, said Nigeria should copy the model of the United States of America (USA) which is running a decentralised police system effectively.

“I have always supported the idea of state police. I believe state police is a very important part of the process of decentralising authority in Nigeria,” he said.

“I live in a university town called Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. The university has its own police (university police) that carry guns.

“Then, the county in which Bloomington is located also has its county police force. There is also the Indiana state police. This model shows that policing is more effective when it is decentralised.”

Utomi said the fear of likely abuse by state governments should not be a reason to oppose or reject the idea of state police.

He said mechanisms should be put in place to check abuse or manipulation by state governments if state police are created.

“What the Americans have done over the years to the so-called problem of local abuse of people’s rights by police is to ensure that wherever there is a problem relating to breach of rights, the FBI automatically steps in,” he said.

“That is how the Americans have tried to manage it. We can do the same. We cannot have effective security without a sub-national police force.”

Utomi also said immunity should, in principle, be removed “because it has been abused,” warning that caution should be taken to avoid frivolities.